Cost cuts risk weakening Louisiana levees

Water pours through a break in a levee in this aerial photographs of the devastation caused by the high winds and heavy flooding in the greater New Orleans area on August 30, 2005 following Hurricane Katrina. (UPI Photo/Vincent Laforet/Pool) | License Photo

Storm surge washes over the side of a levee on Industrial Canal in New Orleans' 9th Ward as Hurricane Gustav moves through the area on September 1, 2008. (UPI Photo/A.J. Sisco) | License Photo

A man walks next to the Industrial Canal levee in New Orleans 9th Ward as storm surge washes over the top during Hurricane Gustav September 1, 2008. (UPI Photo/A.J. Sisco) | License Photo

Water seeps through a flood gate on the Industrial Canal levee in New Orleans 9th Ward as high storm surge filled the Canal to the top as Hurricane Gustav moved through the area September 1, 2008. (UPI Photo/A.J. Sisco) | License Photo

Storm surge washes over the side of a levee on Industrial Canal in New Orleans 9th Ward as Hurricane Gustav moved through the area September 1, 2008. (UPI Photo/A.J. Sisco) | License Photo

Palazzolo Simmons recovers a bicycle from his home December 1, 2005. The house, in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, collapsed when a nearby floodwall gave way after Hurricane Katrina. Today was the first time the area has been opened for residents to check their houses since the storm devastated the city over 3 months ago. (UPI Photo/A.J. Sisco) | License Photo

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- An Army Corps of Engineers study of levees around New Orleans could weaken standards meant to prevent another Katrina-like disaster, an analysis shows.

In the city, the new corps standards mandate that levees be rebuilt with expensive compaction techniques. But outlying communities may be allowed to use cheaper materials -- and get less protection -- The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported.

Pushing for the relaxed rules are spending-conscious local governments in south Louisiana. Much of the increased burden would fall on them.

Levee standards will not be relaxed in the 350-mile levee system in the New Orleans metro area. But nearby levees, including ones that protect the city's flank, could be affected.

At the Morganza-to-the-Gulf levee system around Houma, for example, the stricter standards would multiply its costs from a pre-Katrina estimate of $882 million to $3 billion to $11 billion. State and local governments are required to pay 35 percent of the cost.

The increased expense is largely the result of new rules the corps developed after studying the failure of earthen levees and floodwalls during Katrina. It blamed a failure to understand the quality of the soil underneath.